The spiral
column was known as the "Holy Column" because Jesus
is said to have leaned against it in the temple of Solomon in
Jerusalem. Actually, it is from the fourth century AD and belonged
to the first basilica erected by Emperor Constantine where the
tomb of St Peter was located, near the Circus of Nero, the place
of the Apostle's martyrdom between 64-67 AD. Over the original
grave Pope Anacletus had a "trophy" erected in the second
century, as was confirmed by the archeological excavations carried
out from 1941 to 1943 under the Vatican Grottoes.

A
few of the many items on display in the Treasury Museum

Information
on the Treasury Museum is taken from the CD "IL TESORO DI SAN
PIETRO" BY Citec ed

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